Employee vs. Employer Contributions
In a divorce, it’s common to divide the portion of the 401(k) earned during the marriage. This usually includes:
- Employee contributions: These are fully vested and always belong to the participant.
- Employer contributions: These often follow a vesting schedule. Unvested amounts may be forfeited if the participant has not completed the required years of service.
If you’re the alternate payee, you need to confirm the participant’s vesting percentage. It’s possible for the plan to deny payment of unvested employer contributions, so it must be addressed clearly in the QDRO.

